A Matter of Time
by JkawaiiNeko
Summary: Kyouya was always watching her from a distance, planning and waiting on the right moment. It wasn't until a moment that he had least expected occured that he made his move. Because we all know, whatever Kyouya wants, he takes it.
1. Prolouge:The Confession

**Hello there! Well, this is my first KyouHaru sorta fic so I had a hard time with it and...I didn't really know where Iwas going with it. But in the end, I think it's pretty cool...or at least...I hope. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy.**

**Dedicated to: Cereza671 and AnimeForTheSoul. Thanks for reviewing my other stories and requesting this! You guys rock! **

**Disclaimer: Neko-chan doesn't own! Life isn't always fair (sobs)**

* * *

Deep gray eyes glanced up from the laptop screen to momentarily watch a girl that was dressed as a boy. He smirked and cast his gaze back down.

She was so amusing that he almost wanted to burst out in uncontrollable laughter. He wondered how someone so intelligent could be so incredibly stupid. It did not take a genius to figure out that his best friend, Tamaki, was madly and head-over-heels in love with her. His love was written all over his face every time she moved, every time he would come into contact with her.

That's another thing that made them different.

While Tamaki flaunted his affection for Haruhi by smothering her, trying to be with her, and protecting her from even things that she did not need to be protected against, Kyouya remained cool and collective.

Of course, there was the occasional situations when he could not help himself. Sometimes she would give him this look, a look so adorably stressed and afraid, that he just _had _to help her when Tamaki or the twins had her wrapped in their clutches. Then, there was also the things he did without even taking a second glance at.

Her debt, for instance, was ever-increasing because of him. He knew it was silly but Tamaki had somehow managed to get this strange idea into his head that he just couldn't ignore. Kyouya was usually practical but this topic actually made him have nightmares.

If Haruhi repaid her debt, there would be no reason for her to stick around. There would be no reason for her to talk to him, nonetheless even glance at him. He would not have him. Even if adding piles of money to her debt was crazy he could care less. He'd be put into a mental asylum before he admitted that he was afraid that he wouldn't be in her company anymore.

'Well...let's not go _that _far, Kyouya.' He thought, almost chuckling to himself.

"Mata ashita!" The twins chorused, waving goodbye as they walked out of the door together.

"Bye bye!" Honey said from atop of Mori's shoulders, while the wild type gave a short wave for his farewell.

"Well, see you tomorrow, my friend." Tamaki said, placing a hand on Kyouya's shoulder.

Kyouya nodded and looked up at the blond, sparing him a small smile. "Goodbye Tamaki."

Tamaki turned to leave and was almost out of the door before he stopped and turned around. He walked back up to Kyouya, making the spectacled boy twitch. Nothing was _ever _easy with Tamaki, was it?

"Er...Kyouya? Aren't you going home?"

"No. I might as well stay here and finish this before I head home," Kyouya replied.

"Oh...I see." Tamaki nodded, then grinned cheekily again, "Don't work too hard!"

"Right." Kyouya said, but in his mind he replied 'There's no such things as working too hard.'

When he finally heard the door close behind Tamaki, Kyouya closed his laptop. He really had nothing to do. His plan was going great, just as he had planned. Now that everyone was out of the way perhaps he could actually have some alone time with her- even if it was only for five minutes, it was longer than what he usually got.

Kyouya was not one to whine or complain about what he did and what he did not get. He was a person who would rather _take_ what he wanted. And that was exactly what he planned on doing.

Haruhi, he knew, was in the changing room. She had accidentally spilt tea on her clothes, which would need to be cleaned professionally so that it could look just right by the next day. It was a good thing that she had an extra set of clothes in the back (something she had learned to do from past experiences with the host club).

Kyouya adjusted his glasses and walked up to the door he knew Haruhi was changing behind. "You know Haruhi, I'll have to have that washed properly and delivered to your house before you go to school tomorrow morning. It'll cost you, of course, but it's worth it."

"What? Why should you have to wash it when I could do it myself?" He could hear the edge in her voice and practically see her troubled expression. Kyouya almost had to stop himself from laughing.

Poor commoner. Didn't she know that the Ouran uniform had to be handled differently than other clothes?

"Haruhi, if you washed it wouldn't look the same," he replied.

"Are you saying that my other clothes aren't washed correctly? Or are you trying to do me a favor?"

He paused. No matter how much he added to her debt, Haruhi hardly ever saw her as a bad guy. She was probably the only person who didn't jump to conclusions about him, thinking that anything and everything he did was simply for his merit, that he was indeed the selfish jerk he made himself out to be sometimes. He smiled at that, remembering the time back at the beach when he had pushed her onto the bed and 'taught her a lesson by "playing" the bad guy'. He also remembered the time at the commoners mall when he had helped out that old lady and Haruhi had said that he had actually been nice.

He supposed that those things was what had made him start to like her. Since then, he had paid so much attention to her that he thought he was going mentally insane. Why pay so much attention to someone who wouldn't be around for so long? He soon found out why. He couldn't ignore her no matter what he did and trying to ignore her only made him think about her more.

He smirked when she came out of the changing room, wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans.

"Is it wrong to help out a friend," he asked in reply to her previous question.

Her face became troubled for a bit before she smiled and walked past him, going to gather her stuff so that she could take her leave for the day. "You surprise me sometimes Sempai."

"Oh? How so?" he asked in what he hoped was a not too interested voice. Truthfully, he was desperate to know what she meant.

"Well," Haruhi continued, stuffing her bag with her books. "Sometimes I think that you don't like me. But just now you called me your friend, so I guess I was wrong."

Kyouya's eyes widened, but thankfully he was not facing her at the moment. "What..." he cleared his throat, "What would make you think something like that?"

Haruhi shrugged. "I don't know...It's just...you never seemed to want to deal with me or anything. It kind of felt like you were avoiding me."

Kyouya blinked and looked at her. He could've sworn that her face was a bit pinker than usual, but maybe that was his imagination. What he did know for sure though was that she was becoming uncomfortable under his intense gaze. She shuffled and looked away.

He didn't know what to say. Had he really been avoiding her? He knew that to a certain extent he was, but that was only so that he wouldn't be too attached to her. 'Now that I think about it...that plan failed a long time ago.'

"Ah. I see," he said, stepping closer to her. "I'm sorry you felt that way."

"No, I'm sorry Sempai. Saying that was stupid," she laughed nervously and shook her head. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

Before he could even think he had reached out and grabbed her wrist. She turned around, a puzzled expression on her face. "Sempai?"

He swallowed thickly, suddenly forgetting what it was that he had intended to say. Kyouya released her and let his hand fall to his side. He reached up and pushed his glasses up slightly, before smiling and putting a hand on her head.

"I suppose that we're even then," he said, took his hand away and made his way for the exit.

"What do you mean?" Haruhi asked.

He stopped walking, his back to her mostly because he was afraid to look at her. " I've always thought you were avoiding me too." Kyouya paused then turned to face her. "Unless, of course, my suspicions were correct and you really do avoid me."

This time it was Haruhi's turn to widen her eyes. "What?" she asked shortly. She stared there with a shocked expression for awhile before she smiled and suddenly burst out into a fit of laughter.

Kyouya chuckled a bit, taking amusement in her outburst.

Once she had calmed down she rubbed a tear out of her eye and looked up at him, smiling for all she was worth and tilted her head to the side. "Whether I was avoiding you or not, I didn't think you'd care Kyouya. But trust me, I've never tried to avoid you...well, other than when I fear you're going to add something onto my debt."

She sighed and shook her head slowly, "You're one of the people I'm less likely to avoid."

She put it so bluntly, she easily and smoothly- and yet Kyouya's heart still skipped a beat. What she had said was really a relief, though he didn't take it to mean that she was in love with him or anything. Still, it was comforting.

He smiled and nodded, seeing that he really couldn't find anything smart or special to say to that. Once again, he turned to leave.

"Kyouya?"

"Yes, Haruhi?" He turned again.

"We're friends right?"

Typical Haruhi.

He nodded. "Yes, I suppose you could say that."

"What do you mean? Either we're friends or we're not."

"Well, we aren't just acquaintances. But I wouldn't say we're past friendship either, correct?" Kyouya said, stepping closer to her, staring into her eyes solidly as he walked.

"Er...well..." Haruhi blinked when he was as close as he could get to her. He smiled and put a finger under her chin and lifted her face up. He moved some of her hair out of her eyes, gaining confidence in every move he made. "Kyouya-sempai?"

He placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer. The spectacled boy leaned down so that he could whisper in her ear, "Though, it would be more interesting...if we were something _more_."

Feeling free and somewhat giddy by now, Kyouya leaned back up into a proper stance. Haruhi's face was at first a bit shocked. He knew that she was no good at guessing at other people's feelings when it came to love, so he wondered if she actually understood what he was getting at. Kyouya tried not to get nervous, but couldn't help but thinking that her silence was due to the fact that she didn't feel the same way.

What had he been thinking? It had never been his intention to confess to her. He had planned out when, how and where he would do that at a long time ago. But he had gotten carried away; only she could throw his mind into disarray and make him act on his emotions rather than his strong mind.

"Kyouya, are you saying that...you would like to be more than friends with me?"

Ah. So she did understand.

He pushed his glasses up slightly before saying, "Yes. Exactly."

"So, you like me more than a friend? And you would like me to become your girlfriend."

"Yes, that's correct also."

"I see."

Silence. Such an uncomfortable silence...

"Of course, that proposition will be open for as long as you need it to be," he said, just to fill the silence, though he really wished that she would say yes.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you Sempai?" Haruhi smiled, but her eyes were filled with something that he had never seen them carry before. "Demo..."

But. There was always 'buts' in these type of situations. Kyouya shifted, holding his breath for her answer.

"I've never really thought of you in that way." She took a deep breath, as if saying this was like putting a knife through her own stomach. "Maybe if I got to know you better....but right now, I'm not really prepared to be in a relationship. I've never even thought of being in one before."

"I see..." Kyouya looked away.

"But," Haruhi backed up and before he knew it, she bowed respectively and when she came back up, the brightest smile was on her face. "Thanks so much. I never knew you cared about me. It's better if I know, don't you think?"

He nodded and smiled. "Then, I suppose I'll see you again tomorrow." Kyouya walked out of the room, leaving Haruhi behind as he turned the corner and slammed his back against the wall.

Suddenly, he laughed, the tension he had been feeling all coming out of him. When he was finished he took his glasses off and cleaned them before slipping them back onto his face. Straightening up and walking out of the building like a true Ootori would, he felt a different amount of hope that he had felt in a long time.

He still had a chance. Actually, he now had a greater advantage over any of the hosts to win Haruhi's heart, he thought confidently.

Now that he knew he actually had a chance with her, he would never give up. He planned on stealing her away easily now, despite the fact that he had just gotten rejected, that only fueled his passion even more.

Because, only someone like Haruhi would reject him.

Kyouya loved to chase things he could not have.

That's why, he was going to enjoy capturing her eyes, her attention, her heart.

He was going to enjoy taking her very, very much.

It was only a matter of time.

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**A/N: Aww, poor Kyou-chan got dumped! Well, reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Phase 1: At Peace

**Well, you guys convinced me. I decided to continue this fic. It'll only be about 4 or 5 chapters, though. But still, I hope that you guys will read it and enjoy it! I'll only write it in my spare time because, guess what? I'm starting on a different AU fic (remember Lost Found?) But yeah, this time it'll be a HikaHaru. Please read it once I post it. **

**So, I've done a MoriHaru, this is KyouHaru, I have a TamaHaru oneshot, HikaHaru is on the way...I guess I'm on a mission to pair her with everyone! I'll probably do KaoHaru next! Pairing her with Honey and making it convincing will be hard...but I'll do that too! (grins cheekily) Wish me luck. Until then, here is the second chapter. **

* * *

_"I've never really thought of you in that way." She took a deep breath, as if saying this was like putting a knife through her own stomach. "Maybe if I got to know you better....but right now, I'm not really prepared to be in a relationship. I've never even thought of being in one before."_

"Welcome home Haruhi!"

Haruhi twitched visibly, the vein in on the side of her head looking as if it would pop out of her body any minute and her eyes blazing with fury as she gritted her teeth.

Kyouya took a sip at his tea as the other host club members circled Haruhi as if they were her prey. Haruhi, of course, was not very happy about that. Maybe Haruhi felt as if the whole world was against her, but Kyouya surely didn't. In fact, he felt that the world was in his hands, as if he had absolute power.

And in his friends lives, that wasn't far from the truth.

It was Saturday and they were at Haruhi's house. This was only because Kyouya had been filling Tamaki's mind with little subliminal messages all week. Naturally, Tamaki ended up dragging him and everyone else along for the ride. Kyouya would've went by himself, but he did not want to seem too obvious, being at Haruhi's house alone.

Plus, even if he didn't want to admit it, he felt a tad bit more comfortable when the others were surrounding him. He didn't want to lose his cool anymore around Haruhi. No. Kyouya was planning on focusing.

His plan was already working out properly, and so phase one would end perfectly at the end of the day. He was sure of it.

Once everyone was finished smothering the only girl in the house, said girl pushed past them all and sat crossed legged on the floor. "I'm afraid to ask why you all are here today..."

"It's because we wanted to see you Haruhi!" Tamaki whined.

Haruhi's eye twitched. "You see me on school days all of the time. You couldn't let me have my Saturday to myself just because you wanted to see me?"

Kyouya shifted, his eyes slowly looking over her. She was wearing a powder blue baby-doll top, jeans and sandals. 'As the twins would say...simplicity at its best.' he thought.

"Haru-chan! Haru-chan! We're hungry!" Honey chanted. "Do you have any snacks?"

Haruhi sighed. "I guess I could find something..."

'Perfect.' Kyouya watched her intently as she stood up. Quickly, his gaze shifted over to Tamaki.

"Honey-sempai!" he whispered harshly. "Have you forgotten? Surely, Haruhi doesn't have anything extra to give to us. By asking her to give you a snack- she's really fretting on the inside!"

Honey's eyes immediately filled up with globs of unshed tears. "I'm so sorry Haru-chan!" he ran and wrapped his arms around her waist, cuddling into her stomach. Kyouya's eyes narrowed. He always got the feeling that Honey's displays of affection weren't as innocent as they seemed.

Though, he swept his sudden pang of jealousy aside when Haruhi patted his head and said what he had been waiting for her to say all day. "Then, I guess I'll just have to go to the store."

Perfect. Everything was going according to plan. It usually always ended up like this. It surprised Kyouya how predictable they could all be whenever they visited Haruhi but on other days, they were completely unpredictable and how it usually grated on his nerves.

But he knew that today nothing could go wrong; everything would go his way. It _had_ to.

The twins cheered, throwing their hands in the air and shouting, "Yay! Off to the commoner's shopping district!"

Haruhi sweat dropped, sighed, and grabbed her purse. She swung it over her shoulder, mumbling a "let's get this over with" before walking out of the door behind the twins.

As per usual when they took their trips to the commoner's grocery store, they ended up doing a variety of things. The series of events started with the twins laughing and pointing at the many interesting things. Tamaki was inspecting each and everything he picked up, nodding his head and asking Haruhi multiple questions. Honey was hitching a ride in a grocery cart, which was of course being pushed by Mori.

Kyouya knew that now was the perfect time to put his plan into action. He knew that it wouldn't be that hard; his friends had pretty short attention spans after all.

He slowly made his way towards Tamaki and Haruhi. He stopped. Tamaki was laughing. It was one of those laughs that was so pure-hearted that even the devilish twins could not muster up enough evil intent to put down. Just as Kyouya was about to regain his wits about him- Haruhi laughed too.

He felt a pang of regret. Tamaki loved Haruhi. He knew this more than the blond did himself. Would it be right to just steal her away right from under his nose? But...he loved her too. He knew this for sure as well. Didn't that count for something? Or was he really what so many people thought he was? Selfish. Spoiled. Did he only really do things for his own benefit?

Haruhi and Tamaki walked away from the fruit aisle, Kyouya's eyes never leaving them. Inside his mind he weighed the pros and cons. Did Haruhi love Tamaki? If she did, couldn't she change her mind and love him instead? Did he want her to love her even if Tamaki had stolen her heart first?

For once, Ootori Kyouya did not have answers. As Haruhi's shopping cart filled up, he realized that he did not have a lot of time to find out. No one was watching, so he took in a deep breath, clenched his fists and strolled over to Tamaki and Haruhi.

'Love...is war.' he thought.

"Haruhi, if I'm correct, there is a shopping mall not to far from here," he said. Haruhi visibly flinched and watched the expression on Tamaki's face blossom into downright joy.

"Nani? There is?! Why did I not know of this? Haruhi," Tamaki grabbed her shoulders. "Father wishes to go to this mall. It's been awhile since we've all been somewhere together so-"

"We see each other everyday." Haruhi stated flatly.

"But not on _Saturdays_!" Tamaki said, as if this was the most obvious reason in the world as to why they should take a trip to the mall. "The family has to spend time together on the weekends too. It will be a good experience!"

The twins magically appeared behind Tamaki. "What will be a 'good experience' Milord?"

Haruhi groaned. Kyouya smirked. Hook, line, and sinker.

Tamaki explained his- or really, Kyouya's idea, and the twins agreed wholeheartedly.

"We wanna go too! Right, Takashi?" Honey said, looking up at the silent senior.

"Un." Takashi replied.

So, after buying Haruhi's groceries, they literally had to drag her down to the store. Her groceries were delivered to her apartment (compliments of the Hitachiin twins) so that she could not argue that her food would go bad or that she would have to carry them all in the house. "But I thought you guys were hungry," she yelled.

"We're not anymore!" Tamaki, the twins and Honey chorused.

'Now comes the hard part...' Kyouya thought, pushing his glasses up further on his nose. How in the world was he going to separate _Haruhi _from these alien-like people he called friends?

Well, he would simply wait his turn.

* * *

At first she was dragged through all the fashion stores by the twins. Then they discovered the arcade. They played Dance, Dance Revolution until the twins felt they would die of laughter. Tamaki lost at that game, while Hikaru and Kaoru seemed to have mastered (gathering a rather large crowd behind them, gaining fan girls and even boys to back them up). Takashi won a game also. The Crane Game. Honey and several girls received stuffed animals from Takashi that day. Tamaki lost miserably at air-hockey against Hikaru. All the while, Haruhi was being dragged from game to game.

When they exited the arcade, Tamaki just had to point out the pet store. Honey, of course agreed and they went in to pet the various animals. Girls squealed at the sight of Honey petting the bunnies, being licked over by several puppies at a time.

Haruhi looked down at a large tank of fish. "See anything you like?" Kyouya asked, leaning down next to her. If she said so, he would buy the whole darn pet store.

"No, not really. I was just thinking..."

"Oh?" he raised his eyebrows slightly.

"I guess...it isn't so bad...being with you guys," she smiled, turning his way.

He nodded. "It's easier once you get used to it. At least, when they're like this."

They both looked over to the others. The twins were laughing, Tamaki was petting, Honey was being licked, Takashi was trying to dig Honey out of the bunch of puppies. It suddenly felt as if he and Haruhi were husband and wife watching after their children.

For the second time that day, he felt a pang of regret, a pang of worry. It was one of those thoughts that you know you don't want to think- the kind that you try to push back but you end up thinking it anyway.

What kind of husband could he be to Haruhi? The Ootori lifestyle was stressful. Haruhi was not raised to be the wife of a rich business man. Would she really be happy with him?

"Kyouya-sempai?"

He blinked, looked down. "Ah...yes, Haruhi?"

"We'd better get them out of here. They're starting to create a scene," she pointed over to Honey, who was getting his shoelaces attacked by a pipe-sized pup while Takashi was being attacked by the bigger dogs- mostly just licking but nonetheless scary/hilarious (well, if you were the twins- who were having a laughing attack). Meanwhile, Tamaki was busy talking to a girl about a mouse that was crawling around in his shirt. The twins found that even more hilarious because apparently, the mouse was nipping at his skin- eliciting strange sounds and jumps from Tamaki.

Haruhi and Kyouya sweat dropped. "Idiots..." they both mumbled.

It took awhile to usher them all out of the shop. The twins, finally coming down from their laughter induced high, rubbed their aching bellies. They found a long bench to sit on.

Honey, tuckered out from playing around with the small animals, rubbed his stomach. "I think it's snack time..." he said, looking up at Haruhi with those large eyes and smiling weakly.

"Ah, well..." Haruhi blinked, turned in the opposite direction and pointed. "The food court is that way. I'm not sure anything will suit your tastes though..." She looked back, only to find that they were already half way there. "I should've known that they wouldn't listen." she sighed, though a small smile was placed on her lips.

Kyouya smiled, just a bit, as well. "I suppose it would be in on best interests to follow them."

"Or run away and don't look back," Haruhi joked (aka she couldn't have been any more serious about that than she already was) and looked up at Kyouya.

They walked side by side together, Kyouya relishing in the fact that everyone else was far ahead of them. Haruhi's brunette hair bounced and swayed a bit as she walked. One of her hands gripped gently at her purse while the other laid lazily to her side.

"Har-u-hiiiii!"

Kyouya stopped walking. The idiots were coming.

"Haruhi! What would you like to eat?" Tamaki asked eagerly, his smile brighter than sunshine itself. "A hamburger? I hear that it's one of the most common commoner foods to eat in malls! That, and French fries, of course."

"You don't have to buy me anything Sempai. I'm not really hungry..." Haruhi said, her hands up, trying to convince him that she really didn't want anything.

"But Haruhi! We must experience this together. It's inevitable that-"

"Haruhi, I've gotten you a smoothie." Kyouya said, holding out a medium sized strawberry-banana smoothie to the girl. He looked at Tamaki and smiled so impossibly happily that all Tamaki could do was stare, his mouth completely flung open while he pointed an unsteady finger at Kyouya.

"Wah-wah-wah..." Tamaki kept sputtering. When Haruhi blinked and took the smoothie, you could practically feel the steam emanating off of Tamaki. "K-K-KYOUYA!"

"Ah. The Shadow King has struck." The twins said bluntly, now somehow directly behind Tamaki.

Meanwhile, Haruhi was beaming up at Kyouya. "Thanks Kyouya-sempai. This...is actually my favorite flavor."

'I know...' Kyouya thought. Knowing it was not in his best interest to voice that thought, he instead took the cool role and shrugged. "I just figured you would want something to drink. What you drank wasn't exactly my concern."

Haruhi sweat dropped. "Shadow...King..." She sighed, her shoulders heaving up and down as she did so. That's when she did something he did not expect her to do. She smiled. She laughed. It was heart-warming so much that he spared a small smile back.

They took a seat in two chairs that was right next to each other, Haruhi sipping away at her cold, fruity smoothie. He stared down at her lips- puckered around that white and red straw, sucking the contents of the cup out. Her eyes were distant as if she were thinking hardly about something. Even though she appeared to be in her own little world, this did not bother Kyouya, only because he was also stuck somewhere in dream land.

"Look Haruhi! Do you like these?"

And just like that, the moment was broken.

Kyouya, irritated now that Tamaki and everyone else was back, resisted the urge to slouch back into his chair.

He was silent for the most part as the others conversed, complained about how the fries weren't salty enough (the twins) and swooned over Haruhi.

"You know, I wonder what it'll be like in a couple of years." Tamaki said, biting down on a fry. "Don't you?"

"Nope! I know _exactly _what the future will look like." Hikaru said, his grin spreading over his cheeks. The redhead leaned over slightly to Haruhi, draped his arm over her shoulders and told them all, "Haruhi and I and Kaoru are gonna live together. We'll invite you guys over once and awhile."

Unaffected by this sort of talk now, Haruhi did not move or say anything. Kyouya, on the other hand, wanted to say something- anything. He wanted to tell Hikaru just how wrong he was but he held his tongue. He'd show them all one day.

Tamaki, on the other hand, was not able to keep his cool as well as Kyouya.

"That's not right! The future definitely will _not _end up like that!"

"Oh? Then how do _you _picture the future?" Kaoru asked, his head resting on both of his hands.

Tamaki hesitated. His crystal-blue eyes scanned over them all. "Isn't it obvious? Naturally, as I am just like Haruhi's father, she'll be living with me."

Silence.

They stared. that's when- suddenly-

"AAHAAHAHHAAHA!" The twins doubled over in laughter, tears forming in their golden eyes. "He- he sounded so serious!"

Tamaki stood to his feet (quite unnecessarily), slammed his hands on the table and glared at the twins. His face had turned about ten shades until it settled into an almost scarlet color and went down to his neck. "W-what's so funny?! It's true!" he turned to Haruhi, "Tell them it's true Haruhi!"

Haruhi, no longer concentrating on her drink, looked up and blinked at him. "Actually, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you say, Sempai." she said bluntly.

This induced more laughter from the twins and a quite shocked Tamaki. The proclaimed king stood with his mouth wide open, his body reduced to that of a gray statue literally made from stone.

Kyouya smirked.

"Oh! Oh! I know what'll happen in the future!" Honey waved his hand around frantically.

"Really?" Haruhi seemed generally intrigued by this. "What do you think Honey-sempai?"

The small senior grinned widely and tilted his head to the side. "Well, first, we'll all stay together. We'll always be friends!"

"But where will Haruhi go?" the twins asked, suddenly not laughing anymore. Tamaki was still made of stone, so it wasn't much fun teasing him anymore.

Honey looked up at the girl, studying her face with his caramel colored eyes. Kyouya studied Honey. What was going on in that head of his? Maybe he _really did _have some type of hidden motive...

"Well, it depends on how far into the future we're going...but I think...Haru-chan will live with her husband." Honey's face was dead serious, the loli-shota charm barely visible through his new mood. He looked back at Tamaki. "So, Tama-chan, since you're her "father" that rules you out." He looked back to the twins. "Haru-chan can't marry _both _of you, so that also gets rid of you."

There was a sound that escaped from the Tamaki-statue. He sounded almost as if he were in pain before his body crumpled into a thousand pieces.

After hearing what Honey had to say about them, the Hitachiin twins fell silent, their faces emotionless.

"So..." Honey said, dragging out the word in a sing-song like way. "That only leaves me, Takashi, and Kyou-chan!"

Kyouya's heart skipped a beat and he looked at Takashi, hoping that the senior would get his silent question somehow: _Is he __**serious**__?_

To his dismay, Takashi's stone expression and cold eyes said back: _He's never been any more serious._

"What?!" Hikaru and Tamaki (somehow now back in the flesh) shouted.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying that Haruhi is going to marry one of you three?" Hikaru glared at the senior as if he had just insulted his entire family.

Honey put on his innocent face again, smiled and shrugged happily. "Who knows? I was just saying that, if it was out of the six of us, who Haruhi would probably end up with."

Cue the end of the world. Total elimination.

"What's _that's _supposed to mean?!" Hikaru and Tamaki yelled.

Kaoru tugged on Hikaru's sleeve. "Hikaru..."

"Haruhi will end up with me! It's only logic. Obviously, she wouldn't want to be with those devilish twins but-"

"She wouldn't want to be with you either Milord!" Hikaru objected. "You're selfish!"

"Selfish? You two are the selfish ones. You think she's your _toy_."

"You're even worse. You think she's your _daughter_." Hikaru spat back.

"Hikaru."

"Not now Kaoru...I'm trying to tell Milord that-"

"Hikaru!"

Hikaru stopped. The world stopped. He blinked. "What?"

"Haruhi's gone..."

Silence.

Tamaki and Hikaru froze.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

"It's probably hell back there by now..." Haruhi said.

Kyouya wholeheartedly agreed.

"I don't know why they all think they can decide my future for me." she said, looking up at him.

Kyouya told her, "It's our mindset. From the time they were born, most of them had already had their futures laid out for them."

She paused, processing this information. Her fingernails scraped against the bench they were sitting on. They hadn't wandered too far from their friends; just outside of the mall and had traveled to the park just around the block.

She opened her mouth to say something, then bit down on her lip.

He looked away. He hadn't been trained for these type of situations. The girls he was used to were usually chatty and struck up conversations on their own. When he had to say something first, it wasn't about things that he thought Haruhi would be interested in.

But that was another reason he liked her. She was different from anyone else he had met before. Still, he could have witty conversations and test himself with her. That was much more than any other girl had dared to do.

"You know, Kyouya-sempai...."

He raised his eyebrows. "What is it?"

"I love the host club...but sometimes, it's nice to have peace."

He didn't say anything. He didn't think he was really meant to as if the statement she had just made was a rhetorical question. Nonetheless, a thought occurred to him later on that day, late at night.

He realized it when he opened his eyes to see the moonlight covering his bed like a blanket. Haruhi felt at peace when she was with him.

He let out a low chuckle in the darkness.

Phase 1: Mission Complete/Accomplished.

* * *

**A/N: I feel kinda bad for Mori not having any real parts in this...except his little exchange with Kyouya. I love him so much! Ah, the memories. (sigh contently) So, if you liked or did not like, please review but no flames! Constructive critiscm is appreciated. **

* * *


	3. Phase 2: In Which We Date

**YOSH! So, I know it's been awhile...but I decided to update this story. I admit that at first I gave up on it, losing inspiration altogether. But it seems like the more I don't update the more reviews I got and the more this story came back to life for me! Thank you to all my reviewers! So, even though this is kinda short, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter and keep me motivated. I think I'll be able to finish by the end of this summer (if not earlier). Enjoy!**

* * *

Haruhi blinked, sat up and stretched her limbs. She yawned and ran a hand through her brown locks, causing her shirt to limp down her shoulder because it was too big for her to be wearing in the first place. She swung her feet around and stood up, slowly shuffling to the kitchen. When there, she began to look in the refrigerator for something to cook for her father. Taking out a gallon of milk and a carton of eggs, she turned to the kitchen table.

Her eyes widened at the sigh before her. There was a fresh bouquet of flowers in a vase she had never seen before sitting on the table. It was filled with tiger-lilies, several different colored roses, one huge sunflower, and the vase was decorated with a gigantic red ribbon. She sat the milk and eggs on the table and lifted up the tab on the vase.

_Dear Haruhi,_

_Please meet me at Kototami Train Station at 1:00 P. M sharp. _

_From: Anonymous_

Haruhi blinked in confusion and thought about who could've given these to her and for what reason. She figured it had to be one of the host club members. Tamaki loved roses, but the note was too short and precise to have been written by him. The same went for Honey, who she doubted would send her flowers anyways. Chocolates were more his style. Hikaru and Kaoru could be the culprits, but Hikaru didn't have enough brains to do something so sweet and without adding extra to it. Kaoru seemed like a fair candidate but it was unlike him to be mysterious- he would've just showed up at her doorstep grinning like a Cheshire cat.

That only left Mori and Kyouya. She thought of the stoic Mori and the calculating Kyouya. She lifted a hand to her chin and closed her eyes in concentration. "Hey Dad, do you know who sent these flowers?"

"Ah…no…they were just on the doorstep when I got home so I just sat them on the table," Ranka answered from his room.

"Hm…" Haruhi mumbled, and opened her eyes to examine the flowers some more. It was a sweet gesture, but she didn't know who could've done it. She bit her lip, remembering Kyouya's confession. She doubted that he was still trying to pursue her. He wasn't the type of person to do that was he?

She jumped when suddenly hands were on her shoulders, and she looked up to find her father staring down at her, smiling. "A secret admirer, perhaps?"

Haruhi shrugged. "They could've at least left a name."

Ranka chuckled and read the small note on the vase. "If you don't know who it is and you're planning on going to the train station today…be careful," he told her, his voice suddenly serious and his eyes boring into her own.

"Don't worry Dad, I will be. Plus, it's a public place." Haruhi smiled softly and picked up the vase. She filled the glass with water and sat it in the window, smiling as she did so.

---

Ranka chuckled softly to himself as he watched Haruhi walk down the sidewalk, on her way to the station. _Of course _he knew who had sent the flowers. He would never in a million years let his precious Haruhi go off to meet a stranger at some train station, whether it was public or not. Closing the curtains, he shook his head. Silly girl, he was the mastermind of fatherhood.

__

Kyouya checked his watch. The trains just kept coming and going, the people boarding and stepping off, finding people they recognized or just walked off by themselves. He hoped Haruhi would show. He had never been nervous before, but he was starting to become familiar with the feeling.

Then he saw her.

She was wearing a cute white baby-doll top. Her jeans hugged her small waist just right and her hair was pinned back with two white clips. Boys stared at her as she walked gracefully, her head held high, towards him. He fought the urge to grab her hand, letting every male there know that she was his and his alone. But the rational side of him knew that he could not be possessive over someone that was not even his yet.

Haruhi looked left and right and he stood up. He smoothed down his cream colored button-up, the silver bracelet on his wrist rubbing against his skin. He walked up to her and gave her a smile, "I said 1:00 _sharp_, you know."

Her facial expression went from shocked to confused and she tilted her head to the side cutely, a habit that she seemed to have nowadays. "Kyouya-senpai? You're the one that sent me the flowers?"

"Who did you expect?"

Haruhi shrugged, "I just didn't think you would do something like that." Looking up at him, she let the question he knew she would ask flow from her lips, "why would you want me to meet you here?"

He smirked, "you see Haruhi, I knew that the others were going to try to kidnap you today so," he leaned down close to her, "I decided to kidnap you first."

Haruhi's eyes widened slightly.

"Unless, of course, you just want me to call Tamaki and tell him where you are. It wouldn't be a problem…I'm sure he'll be glad to-"

"No!" Haruhi practically shouted. Then, blushing a bit she shook her head, "that won't be necessary Sempai." Sighing, she asked, "where do you plan on taking me?"

He smiled and put his hand on the small of her back, pushing her forward onto the train. "You'll see soon enough."

Haruhi's intake of breath was music to his ears. Her large chocolate orbs grew wide. Children played, teenagers held hands; adults laughed and/or scolded the young ones.

The park. A large one, but still a park nonetheless.

It was peaceful and not an overcrowded place where they wouldn't be able to have any peace. The cherry blossoms were falling all around them, being carried the gently breeze and creating a picture of beauty that mixed well with the happy smiles of the people. He knew that Haruhi had a soft spot for things like this, so he knew that his plan would work no matter what.

They walked together, side by side, Haruhi laughing and Kyouya chuckling every so often. They talked about the host club, life outside of school, and their future plans. Kyouya found himself slipping away, becoming someone he could only be when he was not trying his best to impress the Ootori name, which was basically every second of the day. Even with Tamaki, he knew he could not be this free.

When they reached the tallest and largest tree in the park, Kyouya looked up at the sky. It was only a couple of hours until sunset. He looked down at Haruhi and asked if she were hungry. When she nodded yes, he swept his arm over to the tree, which he knew had a picnic waiting just for them.

His maids and personal assistants had done well and Kyouya had made good timing. Haruhi gasped and looked up at him. "You…planned a picnic for us?"

Kyouya didn't answer. Instead, he led her over to the tree and sat on the blanket that was spread of for them. "I heard commoners enjoy eating outside on a blanket. I thought I should try it," he said, opening one of the baskets up and pulling out a sandwich.

"I didn't think you would try something like this from your own choice…" Haruhi took a bite of her sandwich. She smiled brightly, looking up at him, "It's good!"

He wanted to tell her that the only reason he would ever try something like this was for her. Otherwise, he would've had an exquisite lunch made especially for him. But he wanted to show her that he could bend to her lifestyle, and at the same time keep his own intact.

Swallowing, he realized that he wouldn't be able to do things like this for her all of the time. But he was sure that they could live a happy life together. Haruhi was a flexible woman, another thing that he admired about her, and so they would be able to work things out. He was sure of it.

They ate the rest of their lunch in a good amount of time, and Kyouya swept her up again just as soon as he could. They walked for awhile, Kyouya buying them both crepes for dessert. It was then that Haruhi pointed out the movie theatre.

* * *

Today was the day that Tamaki was supposed to hang out with Kyouya. Friendly male bonding was a must whenever they got the chance, right? That's why Tamaki was so excited when he entered the Ootori mansion, his smile shining brightly as he greeted the maids. He had been expecting Kyouya to be sitting on a sofa, waiting for him while reading or doing some work on his laptop. But he wasn't which was surprising.

Tamaki turned to the maids, "Excuse me, but could you go get Kyouya for me?"

There were four maids, each of them smiling as if their faces were stuck like that. Their eyes gleamed and one of the maids shook her head slowly, coming closer to Tamaki and making him grow nervous with each passing second.

"Sorry, Suoh-san, but Master Kyouya left hours ago."

"Eh?" Tamaki blinked twice, "without me?"

The maids laughed, a tinge of something like insanity sounding through their merry-making. Tamaki faltered. "er- well…I'll just come back later then…"

"Oh no, I'm afraid we can't let you leave Suoh-san," that same scary maid said. Tamaki felt his own cold sweat drip down his back. "Master Kyouya gave us _strict _orders not to let you leave." That said, she pulled out some chains from behind her back, pulling on the edges to show that he could be tied up in it. From behind her, a different maid held a machete, her friend held a steel chair, and the last maid held a chainsaw.

Tamaki tried to swallow his spit, but found it was too thick to go down. "N-now ladies…" he said, backing up as they came closer, chuckling at his misfortune, "Let's talk about this, okay?"

"But Suoh-san…Master Kyouya said we can do _anything _we want to do to you today."

They laughed and lunged themselves at the poor blond, who screamed like a girl and fought them…

But ended up losing and tied to a chair. "K-KYOUYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

Kyouya suddenly got the feeling that he was wanted somewhere. Shrugging the feeling off, he looked down at Haruhi. She seemed to be pretty content, and after the movie they were stopping off at the mall. His quick eyes spotted a present for her.

He looked through the glass, examining the small diamond earrings that would be perfect for Haruhi. He knew that she didn't like hooped earrings, so these small studs would do the trick. "How much for those?" he asked.

Haruhi was immediately on his case. "Kyouya-sempai, who're those for?"

He adjusted his glasses. "For you."

She frowned and shook her head, "You know I don't wear earrings much. And I don't even want-"

He put a finger to her lip, "Think of it this way, now you will never be able to say that I've never gotten you anything."

He paid the man his money and opened the earrings up. He smirked when she flinched when he touched her ear, noting her sensitive spot for future use. He slipped the stud through her piercing and then did the second one. He smiled, "Perfect," he whispered. Haruhi blushed and looked away.

"Mou…Kyouya-sempai, you're acting strange."

"Am I?"

"Taking me places and buying me things without it being added onto my debt aren't what I call being normal, in your case."

Kyouya chuckled, and she sighed. "Whatever. Let's just get out of here so all these girls can stop staring at you," Haruhi said, grabbing his hand and leading him away from the open space. He raised his eyebrows. Not only was she willingly holding his hand, but was she…jealous? Maybe she didn't realize it, but she didn't want anyone else looking at him.

He held her hand tighter. Forget being inconspicuous, she was already being obvious. He knew that she looked down at their hands, his larger one encompassing her own, their skin feeling perfect and warm together, but he didn't look down and he didn't meet her eyes. He wanted her to wonder…wanted to feel something that she had never felt before and he hoped that if he could keep his mystery up then she would start to feel something.

Even though she already knew that he liked her, it was unlike Haruhi to think that it was the reason he was taking her out. After all, when it came to love, Haruhi could be pretty darn idiotic.

When they were standing in front of her door, she smiled up at him. "Well, thanks for today Sempai," she said.

He smiled, "No problem Haruhi. It was…refreshing," his glasses gleamed in the moonlight. He bent down and got close enough to smell her strawberry scented shampoo. He kissed her gently on her cheek then leaned back up slowly, their hair mingling and their skin barely but still touching.

He could see her already big, round eyes grow when she widened them. Her breath seemed to be caught in her throat somewhere. "Goodnight Haruhi," he said, his voice barely above a whisper but loud enough for her to hear. Her chocolate colored orbs followed him as he descended the staircase.

She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, and her hand touched her cheek where his lips had been. Still unable to say anything, she turned and opened the door.

"Haruhi! You're back," Ranka said, springing up from seemingly nowhere. He grabbed her hand, and in a daze she followed behind him. "Look! Kyouya-kun sent a wonderful dinner for us."

Indeed, so much food was spread out on their small kitchen table that the aroma snatched Haruhi and left her breathless just when she thought she had gotten her breath back. "H-how?" she managed to whisper. 'Why would he do this?' she wondered.

"The maids said that Kyouya-kun knew that you wouldn't be able to cook tonight. So he had them prepare this for you," Ranka said, as if he could read her mind.

"Dad…I'm going to go lay down."

"What?" Ranka looked at her, "No food?"

"Maybe later," she replied, already out of the room. She lay in her bed with her clothes still on. It felt like her brain was turned off and her heart was fluttering on the inside of her chest.

Meanwhile, Ranka whispered into the phone. "Well, you must've really knocked her off of her feet. She can't even eat!"

The person on the other end chuckled.

Phase 2: Complete

Mission Accomplished.


	4. Questions

**I love you guys! XD **

**A Matter of Time: The Last Chapter (not counting the epilouge) **

**Written By: JkawaiiNeko aka Neko-chan**

**Chapter Title: Questions **

Kyouya felt it coming. It was if the walls were moving in on him, as if the very foundation of the school was out to get him. This was his curse. Kyouya never felt guilt for what he did no matter how it was viewed in other people's eyes. If it was to his merit then his actions were justified in his eyes. Even though his thinking was like this, it didn't stop his conscience from getting to him every once and awhile. Especially since he had gotten close to the host club members…

He knew he was in trouble. Thing is, he didn't quite know how to handle the situation. That morning he had stepped into the third music room and opened the long, heavy curtains to allow the sun to shine through and cast a heavenly glow through the room. When he had completed his task and turned around, Tamaki was standing directly behind him.

Perhaps Kyouya would've felt better if Tamaki had been seething in rage, his shoulders going up and down and steam coming out of his ears. Unfortunately, Tamaki had only stared at him with dark blue eyes, his hands stuffed into his pocket and his face almost as emotionless as Mori's. Kyouya did not fail to notice the little scratch going down Tamaki's neck and a small purple mark right next to it. Maybe he should've told his maids to go easy on him…

Then Tamaki spoke, his voice low and uncharacteristic for the hyper blond, "Where were you yesterday, Kyouya?"

Kyouya stared at him, knowing that the blond still had more to say. "You had to have been somewhere important, right? But then why did you want me locked up with your maids all day?" Tamaki narrowed his eyes and let his voice go higher in volume, "We're friends right Kyouya?! You can tell me anything!"

It wasn't that Kyouya couldn't tell him where he had been. No, Kyouya was more afraid of how Tamaki would react. He had been so engulfed in pursuing Haruhi that he hadn't taken the time to find out if Tamaki had realized his true feelings for Haruhi yet.

Kyouya sighed, and then walked towards his best friend. He stared him in the eye so that Tamaki would know he was serious. "I was with Haruhi."

It took a full minute for the blond to process that information before his angry look transformed into the normal, confused look that Tamaki was famous for. "Haruhi? B-but why?"

"Because Tamaki," Kyouya hesitated… "You aren't the only one in love with Haruhi."

Tamaki froze, his eyes becoming large and his skin going pale. After awhile of silent thinking he lowered his head so that his bangs covered his eyes. "For how long have you…why didn't you tell me?"

"For the same reason that you didn't tell me," Kyouya replied and started to walk past him. "But just so you know Tamaki, even though I consider you my friend and I usually let you win…this time, I won't hold back for your or anyone else's sake."

Kyouya closed the door behind him, leaving Tamaki standing in the sunlight and feeling completely alone. Tamaki sighed and looked out of the window. "Then…let the best man win, mon ami."

* * *

"Hm…that's strange," Haruhi commented to herself. She was in the club room and the host club was in session; the girls being wooed as they normally was and the magical rose petals coming out of nowhere whenever and wherever they were needed. Even so, Haruhi could detect that something was different today. She didn't really believe in auras or anything mystical such as that, but the atmosphere did seem heavy and something just didn't seem right.

"What's strange?" the twins asked, sliding up behind her with skeptical looks on their faces.

Haruhi shrugged, "I don't know. Tamaki-senpai hasn't glomped me today and Kyouya-senpai walked straight past him at lunch." Haruhi counted on her fingers, "and Tamaki-senpai hasn't disrupted the hosting today with his crazy antics. Kyouya hasn't added anything on to my debt and he didn't give anyone an angry look today or tell me to get back to work even though I'm here talking to you guys."

"So basically," Hikaru leaned on her shoulder and Kaoru leaned on the other. "You're just paranoid," Kaoru continued, then looked at his brother as they finished together, "Because they're actually acting like normal people today."

Haruhi shook her head, frustrated at the twins' conclusion. She picked up her tray of tea and walked away, leaving them smirking like two sneaky Cheshire cats. When she was completely out of the field of hearing them, Hikaru asked without looking at Kaoru, "You don't think Milord and Kyouya-senpai are…fighting over Haruhi, do you?"

"Well if they are," Kaoru looked to his twin, a determined gleam in his golden eyes, "Then we've got to get you with Haruhi quickly."

Meanwhile, Haruhi sat with her customers, chatting away. The day ended nicely, no interruptions and no one bothering Haruhi. Even during her break she was able to get some homework done without someone wanting to dress her up in a bunny suit or put her in a dress. But it felt…strange.

When hosting was finished and all of the ladies were out of the room, Haruhi looked to Honey and Mori, who she hoped would tell her what was happening. "Um…do you guys notice anything strange today?" she asked, picking up Honey's plate of crumbs.

"What do you mean Haru-chan?" Honey asked innocently, chewing on his cake and smiling.

"Well you know," Haruhi bit her lip and gazed at Mori, "Weren't Kyouya-senpai and Tamaki-senpai sort of…quiet? And after awhile, even Hikaru and Kaoru got quiet. It's like something happened that I don't know about."

"You should ask them yourself," Mori said matter-of-factly, with no intent of malice in his voice. Haruhi nodded, understanding that something was going on but knowing that Mori thought it was best if she found out instead of just asking about it. She would have to do some digging if she wanted to know what was going on with her friends…but she was afraid to do it.

Sighing, she decided to ask Kaoru first. He wasn't by Hikaru at the moment so now was the perfect time. Kaoru was softer than his brother. He was also more open than Kyouya but more rational than Tamaki. He was standing next to the window, looking out of it with a far off look in his eyes. "Kaoru?" she said carefully, touching his arm with a concerned look on her face.

He looked down at her, and then smiled. "What's up Haruhi? Need a ride home?"

"No…it's just that…it seems like everyone is down. Even you."

He laughed a bit and shook his head, "What're you talking about Haruhi? No one is-"

"And I don't understand why you're lying to me," she said, cutting him off on purpose and pouting a little.

He sighed and nodded. "Okay, fine. It's just," he hesitated, looking in her brown orbs. What could he say? That basically everyone in the host club was "in love with her and that she had to decide really fast so that they all wouldn't lose their minds?" No, that would probably be a little much. But it was the truth. He opened his mouth to break it to her as carefully as he could, when the one and only Shadow King walked up behind Haruhi with a dangerous look in his eyes. Kaoru swallowed and backed up. That look was deadly.

What Kaoru didn't know was that Kyouya had no idea what he was going to do or say. He had just seen Kaoru talking to Haruhi, and he knew that he had to interfere. It seemed that the twins had gotten a whiff of what was going on between him and Tamaki. He knew them well enough to know that they wouldn't miss out on the action. Whatever their plan was, he would destroy it.

"Haruhi," he said slowly, gazing down at her through his glasses. She looked up at him, her eyes searching through his tough façade. But he had to keep his guard up when in front of Kaoru. Hikaru walked up next to his brother, staring at Kyouya through slanted eyes.

Haruhi watched as Honey and Mori stopped in their tracks and Tamaki looked up from zipping up his book bag. The only girl in the room moved her eyes from boy to boy, face to face. What in the world was occurring right in front of her eyes? She couldn't understand the tension in the room. It was ridiculous the way they all let something happen without talking about it!

"Okay, that's it," she said, moving past Kyouya. "I respect you all leaving me out of whatever little ridiculous spat you all are involved in," she glared at Tamaki as she maneuvered her way past him, "but whatever it is I wish you all would just talk about it instead of pretending that nothing is going on. I'm _intelligent. _I know when you guys aren't getting along. So please, just tell me what in the world could make you all act like complete strangers to each other."

The room was silent after Haruhi's words. Her voice seemed to echo off of the walls. They all looked at each other, wanting someone to say something. But they were all frozen stiff, their tongues as heavy as lead. Even Tamaki, who would normally make a grand speech by now, was taken aback.

Kyouya felt the earth quaking beneath him again. He had messed up. If he hadn't told Tamaki that he was pursuing Haruhi, the twins wouldn't have picked up on Tamaki's bad vibes and Haruhi wouldn't be standing there expecting an answer from them. Cause and effect was something he had learned a long, long time ago but he had forgotten how it really worked. Rewinding the last couple of weeks, processing and going through the files in his brain, he almost felt sick to his stomach. Why had he pursued Haruhi? He loved her, but the feeling wasn't mutual.

Why, he wondered, was he so stubborn?

After the long moment of silence, Haruhi shook her head and walked all the way out of the room. They could hear her footsteps against the marble floor of Ouran as she walked down the hallway.

And when they disappeared…all hell broke loose.

"Why did you have to go and like Haruhi in the first place Kyouya?" Tamaki spat out loudly, jumping up from his position and nearing him as he spoke. "You _knew _that I liked her before I even knew it! So why would you pursue her?!"

"You're one to talk Milord," Hikaru yelled, "I bet you were pretending with that father and daughter crap, right? You always hugged her and tried to steal her from the rest of us!"

Normally, Kyouya wouldn't involve himself in such a foolish argument, but Hikaru had just cut the very thin line that his nerves were hanging on. "You shouldn't accuse people of the very crime that you're guilty of."

Hikaru and Kaoru turned swiftly to Kyouya, "You always hang out in the shadows and try to woe her!"

"Enough."

Mori's strong, stern voice maximized to its highest volume was enough to startle them all into silence. They looked at him with wide eyes. Mori's slanted eyes bore holes into their souls and he stuffed his hands in his pockets, adding to the effect that he was truly the wild type and that he was not to be messed with.

Honey stepped up then, his caramel-candy eyes had lost their sweetness and was replaced with pure malice. He looked like a totally different person, his normally pleasant features abandoned. "You all are idiots," he told them. "If you like Haruhi then why are you all here arguing? You're friends, right? Think back to when Haruhi wasn't here. With or without her, we can't lose our friendships. We can't lose what we all worked so hard to achieve."

He sighed, his voice saddening, "Sure Haru-chan helped give us an extra, important push…and I love her for that too. But I won't let love blind me! It's fine to want her…but you have to give her space, ne? You have to let her decide who she loves. So let's be friends, but have a fair competition. Let's have fair hearts, okay?"

* * *

Kyouya was on his way to his limo when Tamaki ran up behind him, tears filling his violet eyes and his shoulders heaving up and down. "K-Kyouya…"

Kyouya sighed. He was actually grateful that Tamaki was here. He didn't want to argue with him anymore either and chasing the blond down wouldn't waste his time and energy. Not that he had much energy left anyways…all he wanted to do was lie down. Even thinking would be too much of a bother at this point. "Tamaki, instead of just sitting there bawling, get in the car." Kyouya said, pushing his friend a little.

Tamaki sniveled and got in the limo. Kyouya looked at the sky, noticing that the sun was setting. He then got into the vehicle too. They didn't talk much. Mostly, Tamaki just explained that he had just realized that he'd fallen in love with Haruhi. They agreed that instead of fighting over her as if she were a possession, they would be satisfied with whomever she chose even if it was not one of them.

By the time Kyouya dropped Tamaki off at his home, Tamaki was his old smiling, cheering self again. He even cheered Kyouya on and gave him a thumbs-up. There was no malice between them, for Tamaki could not hold a grudge and Kyouya wouldn't hold a grudge against Tamaki, especially after Honey had made the whole situation seem so trivial. On the ride home, Kyouya realized again and in a whole new light that Tamaki truly was his best friend.

At home, Kyouya lay in his bed, knowing that he should go find out if his father had returned home yet but not having the strength to do so. Never had he felt so foolish. He had been out to dupe his best friend and he hadn't even needed to.

But there was something that was really bothering him. The question was on the tip of his tongue and tickling his mind, making him jittery and on the verge of insanity.

'What am I going to do now?'

He had planned out how he would woe Haruhi, how he would provide a life for her and love her the best way he knew how. He would make her an Ootori woman not only because it marriage looked good for his name, but because he truly loved her. Thinking this, another question that he had been nagging at him resurfaced. Would Haruhi enjoy her life as an Ootori? He wasn't so sure.

No! He sat up quickly. He couldn't think like this…he needed a plan. It was to his merit to make Haruhi his. No. Scratch that. Forget advantages, forget the plan. The only thing he knew was that he loved her. It was not because of her looks or because she was wealthy or because he was told that the best thing for him was to be with her. No. He loved her because she was intelligent, sarcastic, and witty. She had a natural beauty and feminine charm that shined even through the suit and pants. She knew him better than he knew himself. She wouldn't allow him to think that he did nice things for people just because it was for his merit. She put him in place and wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

He loved her for being herself.

Kyouya grabbed a jacket and ran down the stairs. It was getting late, but he had to see her. He would die if someone got to her first. Tamaki was his friend, yes, but he was a fool. Tamaki would wait until school the next day, or maybe even for the weekend to start before he went to talk to Haruhi. Hikaru would probably still be pissed off about Kyouya and Tamaki loving Haruhi too and wouldn't be sure about what to do. Kaoru would be too busy trying to help his brother sort out his feelings to contact Haruhi.

Then, there was Mori and Honey. Where did they really stand in all of this? Today, Honey had made it clear that he loved Haruhi. But was he _in _love with her? And with the silent giant of the group, he could never be too sure of his feelings.

But now Kyouya was throwing all caution to the wind. It was now or never. Haruhi either loved him or she didn't.

There were two answers: yes or no. He wouldn't take a "come back later" or "let me think about it."

The car stopped at the Fujioka's apartment.

'Now or never…' Kyouya thought, stepping out of the limo.

Ranka looked out of the window. There was a black limo outside. Now, that could only be…

"Haruhi, I'm going out for a walk. Stay safe while I'm gone," Ranka said, slipping on his purple jacket and waving goodbye.

His daughter raised an eyebrow. She was sitting at the little wooden table, dressed in a flamingo pink tank top and dark sweat pants. "This late at night?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. He gave her a small smile before leaving, not bothering to answer her question. On the way out, he met up with Kyouya.

"I'll be back in thirty minutes," he said, not looking at the boy. "I trust you Kyouya-kun, so don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"Of course not Ranka-san," Kyouya replied. Ranka nodded and continued on his way. It was hard to let his little girl go but he knew it was inevitable that he did. A tear trickled down his cheek…his little Haruhi was growing up. It was her first time to make a decision like this; either she would reject him or be with him. Either way, she was becoming a more mature person for it.

Kyouya knocked on the door and held his breath, waiting on the girl on the other end to answer it. When she finally did, she looked up at him with a surprised look. "Kyouya-senpai?"

"May I come in, Haruhi?" he asked, already half way into the home anyways.

"Uh…sure," she replied, stepping aside so that he could enter. She closed the door behind him then asked, "What brings you here?"

He touched her notebook, which was sitting on the table. "A month ago, your voice would've held more surprise, Haruhi."

Haruhi raised an eyebrow but did not say anything. She moved towards him instead and then sat down in her spot again. She sighed and rested her head in her hands. He sat next to her on the floor, tucking his feet beneath him as she had done.

After awhile of silence, he finally said, "Call me Kyouya for now on. Drop the senpai."

"Huh?" Haruhi blinked, "but I've always called you that. And you _are _my senpai, Senpai. It's not like I can just forget that."

Suddenly, Haruhi remembered what Haruhi had said to him at the start of all this. _You're one of the people I'm less likely to avoid._

He smiled a bit, gaining confidence in himself. He had done it once, he could do it again. "Haruhi…"

"Oh! I'll make some tea," Haruhi said, getting up.

"Haruhi." Kyouya tried again.

"Would you like yours with milk or water?"

"Haruhi," he raised his voice and grabbed her wrist, pulling her so that she came back down to him. She blushed, her head buried in his chest and his hands on the small of her back. "If I recall correctly, you said that you had never thought about being in a relationship with me before. So did you think about it?"

He waited for her to answer. But instead, she looked up at him with wide eyes.

He looked her in her eyes and said, "I told you that the offer would be open for as long as you needed it to be. But I've changed my mind; I can't wait anymore. Tell me," he narrowed his eyes, "Tell me _now._"

Haruhi pulled away from him, her face red but her heart still stubborn. "So basically, you think that it's possible to just give you an answer so suddenly."

Kyouya stood up then. "It's a yes or no answer. But since you're still changing the subject, I suppose the answer is no."

"I didn't say that."

"Then what _are _you saying, Haruhi?"

Haruhi turned away. "I'm saying that…" She remembered the last couple of weeks. She had spent a lot of time with Kyouya. He'd frequently visited her home, bought her gifts, taken her out, and rescued her from the host club. He occupied most of her thoughts and she liked to make and see him smile. She wasn't happy when he wasn't happy, which had been the main reason she had been so irritated today.

But…something was holding her back. What was it?

She closed her eyes. She had to be rational. "Do you really love me for me, Kyouya?"

"If I didn't, then I wouldn't try so hard for you." He answered honestly.

She opened her eyes, smiling. "Then…" she stepped closer to him, "Tell me what was wrong with everyone today."

"We were arguing," he replied, "Over you."

Haruhi looked shocked. She blinked her eyes wide. "Why?"

"Because I'm not the only one in love with you," he told her, wanting to bite his own tongue off. He sounded like Tamaki, or even Hikaru. A love sick puppy.

"I see," she sighed, "So I'm the destruction of the host club, eh?"

"No," he shook his head, "If you choose, then the others will accept it. We've discussed it already and I believe they all understand your position."

"That's reassuring," she replied, a sarcastic edge to her voice as her eye twitched. It was amazing how a confession didn't make this girl crazy. She was taking everything stride by stride, not freaking out at all at knowing that her friends were arguing over her. "Kyouya-senpai…er- Kyouya," she smiled, "If we date, what will happen? In school I'm a boy so…and even on the weekends we don't have a lot of time."

"You have too many questions," he replied, "We'll take it step by step, Haruhi." That sentence also answered all of the questions that he had been asking himself. _How would he and Haruhi manage? How could he make her happy as an Ootori?_

She smiled. "Okay."

So…what was that supposed to mean?

"I'll go out with you," she finally said.

He smiled. "Then, to make it official," he cupped her chin, pulling her closer to him. She closed her eyes as their lips met for the first and sweetest time. It started out gently, but Kyouya bit her lip and when she gasped her moved his tongue in, gaining dominion over the kiss.

Kyouya smirked. He was going to like dating Haruhi. He remembered his thoughts those weeks ago… 'It will only be a matter of time.'

Yes, patience was truly a remarkable thing.

---

**A/N: So, are you guys mad at me? I think it's a bit anti-climatic. But, it's the best I can do! Yes, there will be a short epilouge soon! I won't just leave it here guys! Review and get a virtual cookie from me :D**


	5. Epilouge: Happiness

**Hi guys! I apologize, I would've had this up sooner if I hadn't unexpectedly gone to see my cousin! With no time to write (sigh) But, alas, here it is! I hope that you all have enjoyed this story. I've had alot of fun writing it and hearing your feedback! Please grace me with your reviews one last time. Also, if your interested in my writings then you can read my other ongoing (HikaHaru) fic and my other completed fics. Thanks for eveything, miina!**

**A Matter Of Time **

**Last Chapter/Epilougue **

**Written By: JkawaiiNeko**

Snow fell from the heavens, creating a clean white sheet of fluff on the ground. Haruhi sighed, looking out of the window of the limo that she was riding in. Really, she would much rather had taken a ride to school in her normal fashion but Kyouya would have none of it. Apparently she was too fragile to step in the snow. She smiled a bit and shook her head. He was pretending to be a little too caring, but he wasn't over-protective and she knew that. By riding in his limo, he did save her from being late to school, which she often was on snowy days. It was just a little joke between them that she was "an elegant flower that needed to be protected." Of course, they both knew that that was far from the truth.

Well, at least that's what Kyouya let Haruhi think that way. The truth was, he really was worried about her well being and not just about her getting to school on time. But the girl was so stubborn that he let her think whatever she liked.

"We're here. Have a nice day Fujioka-san," the chauffeur said, looking at her through his rear view mirror.

"Ah, thanks. You too," Haruhi said, nodding. It had taken about a week for her to get through the chauffeur's head that she didn't want him opening the car door for her. She felt perfectly able to do that herself.

Walking through the grand doors of Ouran, she took in the clean scent, the many characters walking around and the way everything seemed to sparkle and pop. She walked past a group of girls and smiled her signature naturally relaxing smile, "Good morning ladies."

"Good morning Haruhi-chan," they chanted, smiling back at her.

At the end of the previous year, the secret of her gender had been revealed. The host club had had a graduation party for Honey and Mori and at the end of it, Haruhi had told everyone the truth. In light words, the girls were shocked. They'd stood there with wide eyes and pale faces for what seemed like forever before the boys could actually coax a reaction out of them.

Now, (mostly) everyone seemed to be okay with it. Some girls had felt tricked and betrayed and held a grudge about it. Somehow, there had even been a rumor started that Honey was also a girl. But that was quickly dismissed after awhile and the teenagers moved on with their lives, finding new things to gossip about.

"Good morning Fujioka," two boys nodded their greetings as they walked pass her. Haruhi smiled and returned the greeting. Once Haruhi had let out the secret and it had spread around the school, the boys quickly started to change how they acted around her. The same boys that had slapped her on the back as a greeting now had gaga eyes whenever she spoke.

It didn't help that she now wore the uniform dress…

"Haruhi! Haruhi!" Two familiar voices chanted. The twins jogged up to her, grinning as usual. "Guess who we're cosplaying as today?" They asked, obviously referring to the club's activities for the day.

Haruhi sighed. Things had gotten a bit hectic for the club after her secret was out. A lot of things had changed. Mori and Honey had graduated, creating two vacant spots in the club. Without the wild and loli-shota type, there was a dent in the profits. It had helped that they hadn't had to order so many sweets for Honey, but without the profit the two pulled in Kyouya could still see the difference in earnings.

Then there was a question lingering in the air; to host or not to host? They had used her debt as an excuse to keep her around, but Kyouya had shocked everyone by saying that Haruhi's debt would be no more in two weeks. So, unfortunately, there was nothing to keep her there.

What they didn't realize was that Haruhi had no intention of leaving the host club. Upon telling them that, they all got teary eyed and crushed her into one big bear hug.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure that I won't enjoy it," Haruhi muttered, following the twins inside of the classroom. Their second year was already quite adventurous.

"Aww don't be that way Onee-chan," Hikaru teased, ruffling her hair, which was now long enough to rest on her shoulders. Ever since they had found out that Haruhi and Kyouya were together, the twins had taken to calling her their little sister. One day, they said, they would adopt her and they would all "live happily ever after." Haruhi wasn't quite sure what that meant, but she knew it would never happen anyways so she didn't worry about it much. Their way of coping was strange but it kept them from being too hurt over her relationship, so she chose to be their pretend sister.

At their lunch period, Haruhi told the twins that she would see them later. Walking through the halls of Ouran alone, Haruhi felt a pang of guilt. Last year, she had always gone to cafeteria. Now that she was dating Kyouya she had grown accustomed to something totally different. Every day she would walk to Kyouya's classroom to pick him up and from there they would go to the clubroom together. While there they would chat and eat lunch…though most of the time Kyouya tried to skip eating and get right to work. Even so, Haruhi would have none of it and always convinced him to eat.

Peeking her head through the doorway, Haruhi spotted the host club king, Tamaki. He grinned when he saw the girl and ran up to her. "Hi Haruhi!"

"Hi Senpai," Haruhi smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. Really, she missed her short, manageable hair. "Where's Kyouya?" She had dropped the senpai part a couple of months ago, which much coaxing from Kyouya himself.

"Oh, he told me to tell you that he had some business to attend to but that he sincerely apologizes," Tamaki replied, looping his arm through Haruhi's. "He told me to escort you to the cafeteria."

"Ah, alright then," Haruhi allowed the blond to pull her out of the classroom. Since his best friend and his first love had gotten together, Tamaki had eased up on the father-daughter charade. Once in awhile it still slipped when his emotions were buzzing out of control. Kyouya had told Haruhi that Tamaki had a thing for her, and Haruhi had gotten Tamaki to the side and told him that she was flattered that he cared for her, but the feeling of love wasn't mutual.

The king had taken it in stride. He had been quiet for days before he slowly inched back out of his shell. Then one day he said, "If you love Kyouya and he sincerely loves you back, then I have no objections. I hope you two can be happy forever. I love you two more than I love myself."He had said it with his heart, and Haruhi could practically feel the warmth and genuine love radiating off of his body. She was thankful for having a friend like Tamaki.

Once at the cafeteria, Haruhi smiled at Satoshi and Chika. They had joined the club in their brother's places, filling the money gap that had had her boyfriend going crazy. Satoshi was a natural at hosting, his boyish charms and good looks demanding the attention of many customers. Chika had adjusted surprisingly well, his hard-set attitude and sternness at everyone, even females, wooing the girls into believing that he was "hard yet soft on the inside." The girls, of course, got this idea from Renge.

Though Haruhi missed Honey and Mori, it was nice to get to know their younger siblings. Still, the memory of the days where they would guide her and the others with their wise ways would never leave her. She could still close her eyes and hear Honey's sweet laughter, or feel Mori's large hand upon her head. She wished that they could be around more often, but they were pretty busy nowadays. But when they did come around they were still the same old cake eating and quiet guys she knew and loved.

After lunch and the rest of her classes were finished, Haruhi packed up her things and headed off to the clubroom. She wondered what Kyouya had been up to during their meeting time but knew that it had to have been important. He always made it a point not to miss a date with her, even if it was just eating lunch in the clubroom.

"Ha-ru-hi!" The twins were already at the door, holding up some contraption that resembled a dress but was more of a torture device in Haruhi's eyes. "This is your cosplay today!"

"As if I would wear something like that…" Haruhi mumbled, moving to get past them. Of course, they snatched her up and dragged her into the clubroom.

"But it's essential that you wear it!" Kaoru said, pushing her into the changing room. "Besides," he grinned and looked at Hikaru. Together they told her, "Your _boyfriend _said not to take no for an answer."

"I'll kill him," Haruhi replied, an image of the Shadow King with glinting glasses holding up the dress for the twins to see entering her mind's eye.

"Now, now Onee-chan," the twins wagged their fingers at her. "You have customers that expect you to be all dressed up today."

Haruhi sighed and entered the changing station. She slipped off the yellow dress and the brown shoes of Ouran and quickly changed into her new dress. It was short and only went down to her thighs, but for modesty Kyouya had given her a pair of knee-highs. The dress was a light green with lace and glitter. She put on the accessories; a crown made of leaves and a dark green necklace. She guessed she was supposed to be some sort of princess…

"Oh, by the way Haruhi, you're a pixie today so try to be _cute," _the twins told her from the door.

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she mumbled, slipping on the matching bracelets. Hopefully she hadn't forgotten anything. Even if she had, she thought, it would serve Kyouya right for always making her dress up in these ridiculous outfits. He used the excuse that it was only for the well-being of her customers but she knew better than that.

Speaking of her customers, she thought it was amazing how they handled her relationship with Kyouya. When hosting, she would be the hostess and they would treat her with the respect that a lady deserved (of course, all the while being under Kyouya's watchful eye) but even out of the host club they respected that she was involved with Kyouya. Of course, there were the knuckleheads that did get the guts enough to come on to her…she wondered what happened to those guys…

She slowly opened the door and peeped out. The twins grinned at her as they normally did and grabbed her arms, pulling her out of the room with such a force that she nearly fell to the ground.

"Oh Haruhi! You look adorable," Tamaki cooed, squishing his own cheeks between his hands and twisting his body from side to side as she had seen her own father do so many times. Satoshi hugged her and even Chika nodded his approval.

Suddenly, the sound of three hand claps sounded throughout the room. She heard his voice come out loud and clear yet mellow and contained, "Alright everyone, hosting hours are about to begin. Let's get in our places." Everyone groaned and positioned themselves. Haruhi walked slowly past Kyouya, gently brushing her hand against his. He smiled down at her, his glasses gleaming.

* * *

Haruhi was washing the dishes; something that was more of a habit than a priority now. She had no more customers for the day and the sounds of the laughter of her friends calmed her. It seemed that everything had happened so quickly. One day she had been a normal girl about to enter high school and the next she was the girlfriend of Kyouya Ootori and a hostess in a host club. Life definitely had its twists and turns.

Speaking of which, she could feel two arms circling around her waist. She could also feel Kyouya's intake of breath, and then hear him letting it out slowly. "How are you?" he whispered.

"Well I was fine until you invaded my personal space," she teased, knowing that he could always take a joke.

"Ah, well in that case," he removed his arms from her body and started to walk away, "I suppose I'll keep my hands to myself for now on."

"If you do that then so will I." Haruhi replied evenly.

"That sounds like a threat."

"Maybe it is," Haruhi shrugged.

Kyouya smirked.

* * *

Kyouya wanted to drop dead. What if she wasn't coming? What if she had changed her mind? What if…what if…

The grand piano played the song of the bride, and Kyouya was staring down that long, long aisle. He looked back at his best man, Tamaki Suoh. The blond smiled at him and laid a hand on Kyouya's shoulder, nodding. _It'll be okay Kyouya. She's coming. _

Kyouya hadn't felt so nervous since…well, ever. He couldn't remember ever being so nervous in his entire life. But in the back of his mind, he knew that he shouldn't be. Haruhi was a stable woman and she loved him. Right?

That's when he saw her. Her hair was just as long as it had been in middle school and her eyes were large and round; beautiful yet modest. The crowd stood when they noticed her presence and Haruhi slowly made her descent down the aisle. His heart eased with each step she took toward him. Whatever danger they came across, they could handle it. Tamaki was true to his words; he was happy for them. Hikaru and Kaoru (who had designed Haruhi's wedding dress) approved as well. Mori and Honey were smiling, along with their younger brothers.

Bliss. He was no longer under his father's wing and he had everything he wanted. When Haruhi was standing beside him, they shared a long, sweet gaze before continuing on with the ceremony. Ranka and Renge shared handkerchiefs as they cried. And thank goodness, Kyouya had managed to get Ranka to wear a suit instead of a dress.

"Do you, Ootori Kyouya, take this maiden to be your lawful wedded wife?"

"I do," Kyouya replied, no hesitation.

"And do you take Ootori Kyouya to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"I do," Haruhi smiled.

"Then, you may kiss me the bride."

As he kissed her, he could hear the cheers of his friends and family. As they walked down the aisle, arm in arm, Haruhi looked up at him and said, "I think my mom whispered in my ear, Kyouya. She said 'I'm glad you've found happiness.'"

Kyouya smiled, "I'm glad that you have too, Haruhi."

One thing was for sure, he had found more than happiness. He had found a home. A home in the heart of the woman he loved, cherished, and would always protect.

Kyouya was truly happy. Finally, he had what he had been searching for.

**-END-**

**A/N: Arigato miina! Please take the time to give me your feedback and goodbyes! (shuffles away) Ja ne! **

**-Neko-chan**


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